Sand Save
A sand save in golf is when a player who hit into a greenside bunker gets the ball into the hole in two or fewer strokes from that point. It’s most often a bunker shot followed by a single putt for par.
What is a sand save in golf?
A sand save happens when a golfer who finds a greenside bunker recovers cleanly enough to put the ball in the hole using only two more shots, typically a bunker shot onto the green and a one-putt. What gets the credit is the recovery itself, regardless of how the ball arrived in the sand.
Two slightly different definitions sit behind the term, and they cause most of the confusion around it.
The casual definition, used in club golf and everyday conversation, requires the player to score par on the hole after being in a greenside bunker. This is the definition behind the phrase “sandy par.”
The official PGA Tour definition is wider. The Tour records a sand save any time a player gets up and down from a greenside bunker in two strokes or fewer, no matter what the final score on the hole is. So a tour pro who lands in a greenside bunker for their third shot on a par 5, splashes out to four feet, and makes the putt for a bogey 6 still gets credited with a sand save in the official stats.
Both definitions share the same core conditions. The bunker must sit next to the green, and the player must hole out in two or fewer strokes from there. A holed-out bunker shot itself qualifies as a sand save in its most dramatic form.
Sand save vs. sandie vs. up and down
These three terms overlap, but they aren’t interchangeable.
| Term | Meaning | Where used |
|---|---|---|
| Up and down | Any two-stroke save from off the green (chip and putt, pitch and putt, or bunker shot and putt) | Universal |
| Sand save | An up and down specifically from a greenside bunker | Casual golf and tour stats |
| Sandie (or sandy) | The casual term for a sand save, especially one that saves par; also the name of a popular side bet | Recreational golf |
A “sandie” in a recreational round is usually a small wager, often a dollar or a point, paid out to any player who scores par on a hole after being in a bunker. Different groups apply slightly different rules. Some allow fairway bunkers; others restrict it to greenside sand only.
What counts as a sand save (and what doesn’t)
The boundary conditions matter because broadcasts and stat sheets apply them strictly.
Greenside bunkers only. Fairway bunkers don’t count toward sand save percentage on any major professional tour. The shot has to come from sand close enough to the green that the player is reasonably attempting to get up and down.
Score requirements depend on context. The official tour stat ignores the final hole score and only looks at the two-stroke recovery. Casual usage usually requires par.
Multiple bunker shots can still count under the tour definition. A player who shanks a bunker shot into the same bunker, splashes out on the second try, and then holes the next putt for par is credited with a sand save on tour, even though it took three strokes from the sand. Casual usage tends to reject this.
A holed-out bunker shot is the gold standard, since one swing from sand to cup automatically meets every definition. Some clubs and broadcasters call this version a “golden ferret.”
Sand save percentage
Sand save percentage is the share of a player’s greenside-bunker visits that end in a sand save. The PGA Tour has tracked it since the early 1980s, making it one of the oldest short-game stats in professional golf.
Recent tour leaders show how difficult the shot is:
| Year | PGA Tour sand save leader | Sand save % |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Michael Kim | 71.54% |
| 2024 | Carl Yuan | 68.67% |
| 2023 | Matt Kuchar | 66.37% |
| 2022 | Shane Lowry | 67.09% |
| 2021 | Brooks Koepka | 65.38% |
Source: Golf Compendium, Yearly Sand Save Leaders on the PGA Tour.
Recent yearly leaders have landed between roughly 65% and 72%, while the PGA Tour average sits closer to 50%. The LPGA Tour’s 2024 leader was Yuna Nishimura at 62.24%, and the Champions Tour leader the same year was Brian Gay at 67.86%.
The numbers drop sharply for amateurs. According to short-game benchmarks compiled by Golfity, a scratch golfer typically lands between 35% and 45%. A 10-handicap is closer to 25 to 32%. A 20-handicap is often under 20%.
Why sand saves are so hard
Bunker shots punish small errors more than almost any shot in golf. The player isn’t trying to strike the ball cleanly. The club is meant to slide through a thin layer of sand behind the ball, which means contact happens with a soft, shifting surface that responds differently from one bunker to the next. Lie quality, sand depth, sand firmness, and pin position can all vary across a single round.
A specialized club, the sand wedge, has a wide sole and extra bounce designed to glide through sand instead of digging into it. Even with the right equipment, the margin for error is tight, which is why sand save percentage stays low even at the top of the professional game.
Related Golf Terms
- Round — A complete game of golf, typically 18 holes.
- Rotation drill — An exercise focused on improving body rotation in the golf swing.
- Ryder cup — A biennial team competition between the USA and Europe.
- Rough — The longer grass bordering the fairway that penalizes inaccurate shots.
- Run — The distance a ball rolls after landing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a sand save have to be a par?
It depends on the definition being used. The PGA Tour’s official sand save stat counts any up and down in two strokes or fewer from a greenside bunker, whatever the final score on the hole. In casual golf and side bets, a sandie usually requires par.
Do fairway bunkers count toward sand save percentage?
No. Every major tour limits the stat to greenside bunkers only.
What’s a sandy birdie?
A birdie made on a hole where the player was in a bunker at some point. The “sandy” prefix can be attached to any score (sandy birdie, sandy eagle, sandy par).
What’s a good sand save percentage for an amateur?
Anything above 30% is genuinely strong for a club golfer. Single-digit handicaps typically range from 35% to 45%, and most weekend players fall between 15% and 25%.
Can you make a sand save with a hole-out from the bunker?
Yes. Holing the bunker shot itself counts as a sand save and is the most dramatic version of one. Some call it a golden ferret.
Sources
- PGA Tour. “Sand Save Percentage.” pgatour.com/stats/detail/111. Accessed May 2026.
- Golf Compendium. “Yearly Sand Save Leaders on the PGA Tour.” golfcompendium.com. Accessed May 2026.
- Golf Compendium. “Yearly Sand Save Leaders on the LPGA Tour.” golfcompendium.com.
- Golf Compendium. “Yearly Sand Save Leaders on the PGA Tour Champions.” golfcompendium.com.
- Golfity. “What Is Sand Save Percentage?” golfity.com.
- Ballengee, Ryan. “What is a ‘sand save’ in golf?” Golf News Net.
